as in cowed
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as in intimidated
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the judge warned the attorney that hectoring the witness with aggressive questioning would not be allowed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hectored
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Jason Sudeikis, Robert Smigel, and George Wendt hectored Kelce to (1) make Taylor pony up for a new stadium and (2) propose already.
—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
For over a century, citizens have been surveilled while the media is harassed and hectored into compromise, so that the official rhetoric of Slavic suprematism can go unchallenged.
—
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Jason Sudeikis, Robert Smigel, and George Wendt hectored Kelce to (1) make Taylor pony up for a new stadium and (2) propose already.
—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectored
Adjective
-
In traditional settings, people often feel rushed, intimidated, and unseen.
-
You may be used to texting and Snapchat, and may feel intimidated to talk to clients one-on-one on a call.
Verb
-
Because he was being completely bullied and demeaned and excused.
-
In a pluralistic democracy of free citizens, true leadership cannot be bought, bullied, or beaten into people.
Adjective
-
Audiences who endured the Miramax era have been browbeaten to believe that the best picture Oscar should go to a period piece that chokes out a sob from audiences.
-
Not to the extent that the user is necessarily being browbeaten.
Verb
-
But her outbursts frightened the children too.
-
What frightened me most was what might happen to my children.
Adjective
-
The Irish were the original oppressed people from the English Empire, and the original colony.
-
The body pointed to the fact that Iran’s Farabi cinema body, which oversees the country’s submission, was directly controlled by the hardline Islamic Republic regime government, which in turn has suppressed freedom of speech and brutally oppressed filmmakers across its 47 years in power.
Adjective
-
To continue to sell their product in Australia, many manufacturers, including Caesarstone and Cosentino, now market slabs that are made from crushed glass rather than quartz.
-
Top with more crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig.
Adjective
-
My resting face is downtrodden.
-
Consumers from both countries grew fed up with their economies in 2022, and those sentiment reports have remained downtrodden.
Cite this Entry
“Hectored.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectored. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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